Using Enemas Safely

ENEMA SOLUTIONS

PUBLIC WATER SUPPLIES. Most people use their drinking water or tap water for their enema solutions. Much of the tap water that we use is treated. This treated water contains elements that are detrimental to the colon. For instance, city water contains chlorine. When chlorine enters the colon, it kills health promoting gut flora and damages the lining of the colon.

In addition to the ill effects of chlorine, many city water supplies are contaminated due to pollutants, aging municipal water systems, and natural minerals. For instance, Madison, Wisconsin, a city that prides itself on public services, has drinking water problems, according to reports in the Wisconsin State Journal newspaper.

According to the Wisconsin State Journal, "gas stations and other industrial properties often have chemicals that can leak through the soil and eventually contaminate the groundwater." Madison also has manganese, "a naturally occurring mineral that can cause neurological damage at high levels, at levels as high as 700 parts per billion, well above the recommended federal health standard of 300 parts per billion." Additionally, the WSJ searched through five years' worth of Madison's drinking water test data, finding dozens of other contaminants in water from the city's 24 wells. "In one aging well, No. 3, which serves the near East Side and East High School, the levels of cancer-causing carbon tetrachloride exceeded federal health standards in October 2000."

SOAP IN THE ENEMA SOLUTION. Traditionally, soap suds enemas have been used to cause a small amount of irritation to the bowel wall, which promotes an excellent release of stool. This irritation, paired with distention caused by the volume of fluid instilled, causes bowel contractions and stimulation that usually will lead to expelling feces from the colon. Today, soap often contains antibacterial agents or chemicals that kill the health bacteria (gut flora). Soap-based products often contain the additive sodium laureth sulfate, which research has found to be harsh on the oral mucin layer. It is also thought, but not scientifically proven, that sodium laureth sulfate is carcinogenic.